


The Liminal Space In Between Night and Day

by Koffee



Series: Soulmate AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkwardness, M/M, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Soul Mate AU, Tattoos, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:45:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6570313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koffee/pseuds/Koffee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liminal space is the ambiguity and disorientation that comes with being in between stages.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a soul mate au I've been working on. Everyone is born with a tattoo, their soul mate is born with that same tattoo. Once someone meets their soul mate, the tattoo fills with color.

Asahi laid in bed staring up at the mark on his wrist, it was of a sunrise or a sunset, he couldn’t tell difference and only since yesterday did it begin to fill in with color. He had met someone that day, his soul mate, and the only problem was that he didn’t know who it was. It could have been anyone, but it was most likely one of the first years in the volleyball club.

He reached for his cell phone and dialed Suga’s number, “Hey, something happened at practice today, my tattoo has color now,”

-0-0-0-

Nishinoya stared at his wrist, the tattoo of a sunset had filled in with color while he was at practice. He had met his soulmate, but he had no idea who it was. It wasn’t any of the first years, because he had met most of them at some point already. Two of the three second years already had color in their tattoos and they matched.

“Thanks for letting me use your bathroom, Nishinoya.” Tanaka said, his eyes flicked down from Nishinoya’s wrists and he smiled, “Oooh, you met someone today?”  
“Yesterday, actually.” Nishinoya walked Tanaka out of his house.

“Mine got colored in too.” Tanaka rolled his right sleeve up and showed Nishinoya, he had a tattoo of a Chinese dragon circling around his arm. It was filled in with powerful colors, reds and oranges, bright and dangerous.

“Wow!” Nishinoya exclaimed, excited, “Did you see anyone with that tattoo?”  
“Nope,” Tanaka admit, without a falter of worry, “Not yet, but hey let me see yours…”

Tanaka took Nishinoya’s wrist in his hand, examining the representation of the liminal space between night and day. It was either a sunset or a sunrise, but regardless of which it was, it was the transition between two points in time, “Hey, Nishinoya, I think I saw one of the second years with this mark.”

“You did?” Nishinoya jumped eagerly, “Who was it?”

“The giant one.”

“The-- that guy?” Nishinoya took a step back, “I think scared him today, it was an accident though -- oh my god, Tanaka he’s such a weenie!”

“I could be wrong though.” Tanaka let go of Nishinoya’s wrist, and shrugged, “Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow!”

Nishinoya returned to his bedroom, thinking about the information he had just gathered. He had always told himself he wouldn’t care if his tattoo filled with color or not, but now that it had he couldn’t get the giant weenie of a second year out of his head.

The next morning he went to practice exhausted because he couldn’t sleep. He spent the whole night agitated, wondering, if what Tanaka had told him to be true. 

-0-0-0-

As they were changing clothes before practice, Ennoshita happened to step beside Tanaka. He smiled, with his eyes flicking toward Tanaka’s tattoo, “That’s really cool.” He stammered out, his voice was tight.

Tanaka turned, switching his attention from Nishinoya to Ennoshita, he smiled, “It’s badass, right?” He answered, not knowing Ennoshita was talking about his tattoo and instead showed him a new phone game he had downloaded.

Ennoshita laughed awkwardly, and nodded, “Yeah, so cool.”

Tanaka beamed a smile and slapped Ennoshita on the back, “Maybe I’ll let you play it during lunch!”

As the two were talking, Nishinoya heard the door open and saw the second year Tanaka had told him about the previous night. The other second years, Daichi and Suga scolded him about arriving so late, “Late again, Asahi?”

Asahi.

That was his name.

Nishinoya turned around completely, and daringly called the second year using his first name, “Asahi, can you come here?” 

The name sat beautifully on his tongue and rolled out if his mouth. The first ‘A’ sat a like mountain, and the rest of the letters circled around it like an unresting wind. Nishinoya wanted to call his name again just to taste each individual letter once more but he couldn't.

“In a second, Nishinoya.” The third year captain spoke, “I need to talk to him about his tardiness.”

Nishinoya nodded, half pleased that he'd be able to say his name again.

During morning practice, Nishinoya watched Asahi. He studied his movements, he studied the way his back arched before an attack. He studied the strength in his arm and hands and felt its force as he received a ball from him. 

Nishinoya caught sight of a flash of color on Asahi’s wrist. A mixture of morning and evening gracefully pulled together by the atmosphere and human eye. It was him, Tanaka was right. It was him. It was him. He was his soul mate.


	2. Chapter 2

Asahi bolted out of the gym as soon as practice was over, purposely not giving Nishinoya a chance to speak to him. He didn’t want Nishinoya to say anything to him at all. In Asahi’s mind, Nishinoya was like a tiny walking thunderstorm and he was allergic to the rain.

Asahi recalled the look in Nishinoya’s eyes the first time he received one of his attacks with such striking ease. He recalled how their eyes met only for a second. The ferocity in Nishinoya’s eyes was unnerving and Asahi felt exposed just from looking at him. Asahi didn’t like that, he was a private person and he felt like Nishinoya could see right through him. 

Suga and Daichi had already told him, Nishinoya had the same mark. It was a pleasing thought to know his soul mate was a few feet away, but at the same time fucking terrifying. Terrifying because he couldn’t understand how someone with such blazing energy could be his soulmate.

How could someone so loud could be his soulmate?

How could someone so dangerous

so daring

so impulsive

How could someone like that be Asahi’s soulmate?

“What the hell, Asahi!?” Suga swore as him and Daichi sat down next to him during lunch, “I saw you run out of practice!”

“I don’t think I ran…”

“Yes you did,” Suga reached out and put a hand on Asahi’s shoulder, “He’s not going to hurt you, I promise, you should have at least said something.”

“You didn’t talk to Nishinoya?” Daichi leaned forward, talking low “We told you to talk to him, why didn’t you?”

“Honestly, he scares me.”

Daichi laughed, “He’s barely five feet tall and you’re saying he scares you?!!”

“Yes he scares me!!” Asahi said again, “Did you see the look on his face when he received my ball?”

“Yeah,” Suga nodded, “He’s just really good at what he does, come on Asahi, am I going to have to hold your hand for you to speak to him?”

“Maybe…?”

“Wrong answer,” Daichi punched Asahi in the shoulder, “Because Suga is going to be holding my hand while you try to convince Nishinoya to hold yours.”

 

-0-0-0-

 

“You fucking scared him during practice,” Tanaka half laughed, putting away his lunch box, “Did you see how fast he ran out of there?”

“Don't tease him, Tanaka.” Ennoshita admonished, he reached out and touched Tanaka on the hand, “Hey, and that’s my lunch box,” he nodded toward another lunch box, “That one is yours.” 

“Oh oops.” Tanaka put Ennoshita’s lunch box down and grabbed his. 

“Yeah, Tanaka be more sensitive,” Nishinoya added, playfully, “I scared my soul mate and he ran away.”

“Hey, man it’s kinda funny.”

“At least Nishinoya found his soulmate,” Ennoshita teased, “You know you’ve met yours but you still don't know who it is!”

“Not yet I don't!” Tanaka promised, leaning toward Ennoshita as if sniffing the air, “It could be you, I don't believe I've seen your tattoo yet!”

“Why waste my time showing you?” Ennoshita crossed his arms.

Nishinoya glanced at Tanaka and then at Ennoshita, he smiled, “I’m going to leave you two alone,” he stood up, wiping dust off his pants, “I need to go find Asahi”

Tanaka looked like he was about to stop Nishinoya from going, but Ennoshita slapped him on the back. The soft touch derailed his train of thought, and a stuttering breath caught in his lungs as he turned to look Ennoshita in the eyes.

“Yeah, go find him.” Tanaka said, not taking his eyes off Ennoshita.

Nishinoya grinned and dashed off.

Ennoshita blinked slowly, he smiled softly feeling a heat rush to his cheeks -- being stared at so intensely was embarrassing him. He didn’t want to say anything, not yet. It was strange, to meet your soulmate and Ennoshita was in a stage of half denial. He didn’t want to believe that Tanaka was his soulmate, not because he didn’t like the other boy but because just finding a soulmate was unbelievable. 

A part of him wanted pretended his tattoo didn’t match with Tanaka’s and the other part did.

“Show me see your mark!” Tanaka demanded. 

Ennoshita thought for an annoyingly long second and decided, “Make me!”

“Challenge accepted!” Tanaka growled playfully and tackled Ennoshita into the ground. 

Dirt exploded around them, causing Ennoshita to sneeze a few times but that didn’t convince Tanaka to get off him. Once his eyes cleared, Ennoshita started up at Tanaka, the sun gave him a fiery outline making him appear an otherworldly beast. Ennoshita tried to smile flirtatiously, but he just felt awkward because Tanaka was literally on top of him on school grounds. Tanaka’s breath was warm against Ennoshita’s skin. Ennoshita truly felt like he was staring into the eyes of a dragon, but he did not feel equal despite bearing the same tattoo. 

Ennoshita never thought of himself having the strength of a dragon.

Yet, who better than a dragon to challenge a dragon?

“You can’t take my clothes off right here.”

“Challenge accepted!” Tanaka said again.

Suga and Daichi had left Asahi alone with Nishinoya and were passing by when they spotted Ennoshita pinned down by Tanaka. Ennoshita had said something, the pair couldn’t quite hear, but it made Tanaka laugh and sit up. 

“Hey.” Daichi greeted, “You two having a good lunch?”

“No, we have to go right now.” Tanaka said suddenly, he stood up and yanked Ennoshita with him. “Bye.” 

“Bye?” Daichi questioned.

“He looked a little flustered.” Suga noted.

 

Tanaka led Ennoshita to the club room, because they still had a few minutes before lunch was over and they didn’t have to go back to their classes just yet. The words Ennoshita had said only a few minutes earlier clutched at Tanaka’s mind, mostly because he would never expect words like that to leave Ennoshita’s mouth, “I’d love to take off your clothes first, no one is in the club room right now so…” The bluntness of his words made Tanaka laugh nervously as he sat up.

The whole thing was dumb because all they had to do was roll up their sleeves to show each other their tattoos but they both craved intimacy. 

On the way to the club room, Tanaka refused to let go of Ennoshita’s hand as he led him through the school. Ennoshita was anxious and his hand began to sweat and that made him more anxious but Tanaka didn’t say anything about a sweaty hand nor did he let go until they made it the club room. 

 

-0-0-0-

 

A few minutes ago, Asahi was fidgeting around, his racing thoughts made his body nervous and he couldn’t keep one sitting position for too long. An uneasiness began to tower within him and he felt the overwhelming desire to leave,“You know, I think I’m going to go home.” he told Suga and Daichi, and as he turned around he noticed the exact person he was trying to run away from was standing only a few feet away.

Nishinoya had that same look on his face from when he received Asahi’s attack during practice. Nishinoya was the personification of the evening, he was Asahi’s setting sun and Asahi was the sharp light of the day. Asahi was the tackling hope leading into the light of day only to be stopped be calmed by the protection of the setting sun.

Similar to the day shrinking during the evening, Asahi had never felt so small before then -- when he was caught Nishinoya’s line of sight.

“Asahi, I wanted to talk to you!” Nishinoya shouted, balling his hands into fists.

Suga whispered to Daichi, “Hey, we should go.” without telling their friend they were leaving. 

“Um, so what did you want to talk about?” Asahi said, as nonchalantly as he possibly could.  
“Asahi, show me your wrist!” Nishinoya demanded. 

Before Asahi could respond, Nishinoya reached out and took hold of the taller boy’s wrists. He examined both of them, but dropped the blank one. Nishinoya smiled and ran his hand over a tattoo that mirrored his perfectly. Asahi felt his heart skip a beat as he felt the pads of Nishinoya’s fingers gently sweep across his wrist.

“It’s like yours?”

“Yeah.” Nishinoya released his grip on Asahi’s wrists and stared up at him, “Look.” 

Nishinoya held his hand out, he was surprised at the gentleness in Asahi’s fingers as he held his wrist. Nishinoya had felt the power of Asahi’s spike, he knew how dangerous he could be but from the way he held his wrist at the moment it was impossible to tell.

Asahi forgot how to breathe.

How do you react to meeting your soulmate?

How do you react knowing the person in front of you is perfect for you in every way?

This person who can fill in the cracks of your foundation.

Asahi never thought he would meet his soulmate. That’s just the way his mind works, but once again he life had proven his mind wrong. Asahi fought back the urge to hug the tiny first year, and instead smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

In the club room, the sounds of the outside world all seemed to die out and the only thing Ennoshita could hear was the nervous stammer of his own heart pounding. His hands were shaking as he slowly began to remove Tanaka’s clothing. 

They didn't need to do this.

They didn't need to remove their clothing, but if they were already perfect for each other, why not?

Why stop?

Why not look into the other’s clothes and see it all when they were going to see it anyway?

Unlike Asahi and Nishinoya, who were unbalanced and awkward and scared about their soulmate, Ennoshita and Tanaka trusted the universe and knew it would be okay.

Tanaka was quiet, watching Ennoshita’s hands and the movements of his eyes. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Ennoshita’s waist and pulled him in,”It’s you, isn’t it?” Tell me it’s you.” he whispered, softer than Ennoshita had ever heard him speak. “Tell me it’s you.” Tanaka said again, his eyes half lidded as he ran his hand up and down Ennoshita’s back.

“It is, it’s me.” Ennoshita admitted, with a slight hitch in his breath.  

They didn’t need to know each other, they didn’t need to take it slow not when they’d been waiting to find each other. Things would work out. They would, they would, because they were perfect for one another. 

They had their whole lives and this was just the beginning.

Tanaka gently lifted Ennoshita’s head up and kissed him delicately, first on the lips, then down his jaw and toward the side of his neck. Ennoshita let out a weak moan, Tanaka’s breath was hot and his lips were soft.

“Is the door locked?”

“Yes.”

 

-0-0-0-

 

Asahi rubbed the back of his neck, it was a nervous gesture, often done in situations where an individual feels uneasy or threatened about a situation. It wasn’t that Nishinoya was threatening, it was more like he made Asahi feel different and therefore threatened. Asahi felt exposed just from looking at his soulmate, this tiny person in front him would come to know his every secret, and fulfill his every desire. 

Asahi felt exposed.

The morning and evening sun were never supposed to meet, because they two halves of the same celestial body. 

“Can I walk you to class?” Asahi asked, knowing they’d have to return soon anyway.

“Yeah!” Nishinoya excitedly grabbed Asahi’s hand and pulled him in the direction of his class, “It’s this way!”

Nishinoya hoped Asahi didn’t notice how badly his hand was shaking. He wasn’t used to being so unsteady around someone, but Asahi made him feel weird. Asahi made him feel like he could run through a wall successfully and not get hurt in the process. Asahi was like a shot of espresso, but like, a giant shot of it.

The pair stopped outside of Nishinoya’s class and Asahi promised, smiling nervously, “I’ll see you at practice, after school.”

“Yup, I’ll be there and you better not be late!” 

“I wont -- not if it means seeing you there.” Asahi said, the sun from the window hit his face perfectly. The light outlined every solid detail of his face, and brightened up his eyes in a way that literally stole Nishinoya’s breath.

Oh god, he was prefect.

Nishinoya blushed, he could feel himself shaking. He launched himself at Asahi, wrapping his arms around his waist in a hug. Asahi let out a shaky breath at the suddenness of having such a small body being thrown against him. 

There was no right way to react to meeting your soulmate. These two, however, were like two puzzle pieces that didn’t fit right at first glance. However, after some trying and some time, the viewer will come to realize how perfectly those two pieces fit.

Nishinoya looked up at Asahi and said, “We’ll take it slow, okay?”

“I’d like that.”

While back in the classroom, Nishinoya’s body was still buzzing from being around Asahi. He sat recklessly with his foot tapping against the floor. Seconds before class started, he realized he had no idea where Tanaka was. He slid out his phone and began rapidly firing messages to his friend,“Where are you?” “Are you skipping class?” “What happened?” “Why aren’t you answering?” 

Tanaka was nowhere to be found, and Nishinoya couldn’t leave class to go find him. He hoped his friend would be at volleyball club later that afternoon, because he had stuff to tell him. He wanted to tell him that all speculation of Asahi being his soul mate was true.

Nishinoya wrote Asahi’s name at the bottom of the notes he was supposed to be taking. Nishinoya always thought his soulmate would be someone more like him, outspoken and adventurous, it was strange to realize that the universe had picked someone who was literally the opposite. Maybe that’s why they needed each other, because they were opposites. They could bring out the best in one another.

 

-0-0-0-

 

Ennoshita’s back was against a corner and Tanaka was in between his legs, kissing at his hips -- he was dangerously close to a swelling erection. There was a small part of Ennoshita that wanted to pull away, to stop, to run because they were in a public place and they should be in class but as he watched Tanaka pull back his underwear with only his teeth he realized there was no other place that he’d rather be.

How many people could say they’d fucked in the club room?

Not many.

Ennoshita bit down on his lip trying not to yell or make a sound, he didn't want anyone to hear them. Tanaka took Ennoshita’s dick in his mouth and sucked on it. Tanaka’s mouth was warm, it sent zapping trails of exciting pleasure across Ennoshita’s skin. Ennoshita wished he had taken a shower after practice, but Tanaka didn't look like he was bothered by any smell. The flat of Tanaka’s tongue traced the shaft of Ennoshita’s dick. Ennoshita let out a low moan, the hairs on his arms began to stand up. 

Ennoshita reached his arm out and stroked the back of Tanaka’s neck, he begged, “Please.”

Tanaka smiled then began to undo his pants.

Fuck taking it slow.

Slow was for turtles.

To which they were neither.

They were dragons, and dragons do what they want when they want .

 

-0-0-0-

 

“Where were you?” Nishinoya asked, slipping on his kneepads.

“I feel asleep somewhere.” Tanaka half lied, a blush slowly overcame him as he noticed the vice captain spraying some air freshener around the club room and muttering about how weird the room smelled. His eyes darted toward Ennoshita, who had turned a bright red color.

“Ennoshita, what happened to your hair?” Suga asked, pulling out a comb from his bag, “We still have a few minutes, let me comb it for you.”

“Yeah, okay.” 

“Wow, your face is really red are you feeling…” Suga trailed off, he followed Ennoshita’s line of sight toward Tanaka who was also blushing and watching the vice captain spray air freshener around the room. Suga squinted his eyes and then turned his attention back to Ennoshita, “Did you do something…?”

“I didn’t do anyone,” Ennoshita said quickly and stammered, “N-need help with hair -- yes please?”

“Uh, yeah sure.”

Tanaka overheard the little conversation between Ennoshita and Suga, and in a panic he grabbed Nishinoya by the arm, “Let’s go help set up.”

“Yeah, whoa --” Nishinoya stumbled as Tanaka dragged him out of the club room, “I’ve still only got one shoe on -- oh hey, Asahi!” Nishinoya smiled and waved his shoe at Asahi.

“Hi.” Asahi waved back and watched as his soulmate was pulled away toward the gym.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” Nishinoya asked as him and Tanaka were closer to the gym, “Why didn’t --?”

“Chikara is my soulmate and we spent the afternoon in the clubroom.” Tanaka revealed, slightly blushing as his mind revisited all the things him and Ennoshita had did during those few hours.

“So what did you guys do in the…” Nishinoya began to ask but as the words left his mouth did it register what one of the possibilities was, he smiled and whispered, “Did you guys fuck?” he asked bluntly.

“Maybe.”

“A no maybe, or a yes maybe?”

Tanaka glared at Nishinoya for a few seconds, and decided, “Do I really need to clarify?”

Nishinoya slapped Tanaka on the shoulder, “Really -- and in the club room!?”

“Shhhhhh!!” Tanaka hissed, glancing around, “Not so loud!”

Nishinoya laughed, until he felt a gentle hand sweep down his back and he saw Asahi jogging past him and into the gym. The smell of Asahi’s deodorant swirled and lingered around Nishinoya, he glanced back at Tanaka with a smile. Tanaka put his hands on Nishinoya’s shoulders and playfully shoved him forward, “Go.”

Nishinoya nodded and dashed toward Asahi and wrapped his arms around his waist, “Oh, hey Nishinoya!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!!!  
> Thank you all for reading this au!!!  
> I'm going to do more the au, and post stories involving other characters in addition to the ones I've been focusing on so far!!!  
> I'll try not to keep you all waiting for to looooong!!! 
> 
> Again, I thank you guys!! You all are wonderful!!!
> 
> <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> This was really interesting and fun to write!! I had so much fun and I hope you guys had fun reading it tooo!!!  
> Thank you all so much for all the support you guys give to me!!! I wish the best for you all!!!
> 
> <3 <3 <3


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